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Rossi Drama Over? Italian Media Says Two-Year Yamaha Deal Done

Tired of hearing speculation on Valentino Rossi’s next move? We have purposely avoided some of the crazier stories (hear the one about Valentino being “seen entering Yamaha HQ in Europe” last week?), but this one rings pretty true – with Italian media sources flatly stating Rossi has agreed to race for the Yamaha MotoGP team in 2013 and 2014, as teammate to the recently signed Jorge Lorenzo. The official announcement is expected just prior to the Indianapolis round on August 15.

The next big issue surrounding Rossi, apparently, will be whether a proven , winning bike will really make a significant difference, or whether his days at the front are over due to his age and deteriorating skills. Stay tuned for that one.

27 Comments

I am only glad to hear he is going back to Yamaha just so we have more than 2 aliens in the races next year, assuming he still has it in him to run in the front (I think he does)
Otherwise, to have a Pedrosa versus Lorenzo battle every week would have made it worse than this year’s races. Marquez isn’t going to resemble an alien for quite some time. He didn’t dominate the intermediate class the way Lorenzo and Pedrosa did in their days. The AMA got boring watching the battle for 3rd when Spies and Mladin were in it. This would have been the same thing. (although a grid of 10-12 bikes next year can’t really be all that exciting either, the CRT’s don’t count for anything)

The thing is, other than for the fact that he’s British there is simply no reasonable argument to be made in support of Crutchlow getting that factory Ducati ride over Andrea Dovizioso or even Carlos Checa. Crutchlow only finished fifth during his single season in WSB, including a mere three wins. (Compare that to Ben Spies’ WSB rookie season on a less developed Yamaha.) Crutchlow hasn’t qualified particularly well or finished on the podium a single time in MotoGP while getting routinely beaten by his four-time podium-finishing teammate; a guy who’s already won a MotoGP race while garnering twenty podiums overall plus a pole position. The two guys are even the same age.

If Crutchlow was from the Czech Republic or France we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

I couldn’t agree more about Crutchlow! Sure he’s a decent talent, but so was Toseland in his first year of MotoGP (6th in first race?) And like Toseland, he just can’t seem to get out of the 6th-4th place group. Dovizioso deserves some respect for the results he’s getting, however he is not an alien. His sole victory came during mixed wet/dry conditions where there were a lot of crashes, and he happened to make the right tire choice. I’m not saying he didn’t deserve to win, but that he’s not in the same league as Stoner/Pedrosa/Rossi(pre-ducati). Does he deserve the Ducati factory ride more than Crutchlow? Absolutely. Should he take it? I don’t think so. I think the Tech-3 team will be more competitive next year.

As for Checa… I think he already learned his lesson with the Ducati MotoGP bike, and would be crazy to get on it again. Don’t like the new Panigale? Go talk to Kawi/BMW/Aprilia. But not the Ducati MotoGP bike…

re: “As for Checa… Don’t like the new Panigale? Go talk to Kawi/BMW/Aprilia.”

As for Checa… don’t like the new Panigale? try riding the damn thing for more than a few parade laps. bombing around opening day at WDW is not testing. go and actually TEST it (work through different setups) ya numbnutz, THEN decide.

Under-engineered! That’s funny. I do believe Stoner won races on the Ducati his final year with Ducati (2010). It always cracks me up how the Rossi fans can NEVER admit that their idol and hero (“heroics” they call it – for a guy who simply rides a motorcycle – that’s funny, too!) can do something wrong. They act as if Rossi actually KNOWS them and CARES about them. Face it people, it is his JOB and he makes a lot of money doing it. I just hope these Rossi fans (or any spaced out sports fanatic, for that matter) is at least half as involved with their family and country as they are the sports “heros” they idolize. I’ve never been that star-struck, immature and naive. I do appreciate their skills and what they do, but also realize it’s simply a job. OK, I’m done – Goodnight Chesty, wherever you are!

re: “He was the best in his day … maybe the best ever … but that was then and this is now.”

wait, who are we talking about…? michael phelps and the 2 silver medals he ended up with…? this is motorsport, not human powered olympic competition. here, millions of dollars get spent on the racing vehicle.

I think Ducati has been stinking for years, feel sorry for Rossi and especially Nicky Hayden. Nicky works very hard but won’t be a world champion on Ducati. Since Stoner left they have been way under engineered.

I depends DZ if you think the capacity of a class is sacrosanct (as I do and as applies to GPs since well…1949) or if you think close racing is more important. After all the AMA prombtly ensured that British bikes that won in the USA in the 40s and 50s were banned pretty quickly! Was that to ensure good racing…or Harley/Indian hegemony? Pays yer money takes yer choice.

Like I said above….. And, to your other “point”; Brit bikes were banned pretty quickly!? What revised history books are you reading? The Brits beat themselves by sticking to a 40 year old formula of engine building that could not compete. Sort of like Hardly Ableson today… well, except H-D is using 100 year old technology. Oh, and where are those great Brit bikes today in racing?